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The Youtube “Fedora Comments”

If you’ve spent enough time looking at Youtube videos, then it is fair to say that you have probably come across a number of comments from fedora-wearing Redditors (and a few over-the-top feminists). Fortunately, you can take solace in the fact that none of these comments are supposed to be taken seriously.

Here is a basic timeline of what has led to this point (a point where people are actually making Chrome extensions to detect and hide said comments):

Rage comics and Advice Animal memes become a huge hit on Reddit, with subreddits such as r/fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuu swelling in size.

During this period of time, “memes” such as “le” become so over-used that it starts to become an annoyance. The front-page of Reddit becomes awash with image macros, gifs and recycled rage comics.

Reddit picks up a reputation for driving once-funny jokes into the ground (by repeating them ad nauseum).

Events such as “Faces of Atheism” and “May May June” fuel the perception that Reddit is full of fedora-wearing neckbeards and autistic white males.

People begin to mock and impersonate Redditors by using the word “le” at the start of their sentences.

Trolls begin to target the comments section of videos that have been posted on Reddit. In most cases, they say things such as “Le Reddit army has arrived!” and “Thumbs up if you’re a Redditor!” This enrages a number of other Redditors, many of whom have a “secret clubhouse” mentality.

The stereotype of an overweight neck-bearded Redditor is beginning to take hold. Fedoras, memes and atheism are quickly added to the mix. Subreddits such as r/cringe and r/justneckbeardthings add fuel to the fire by pointing out instances where the stereotype has proven to be true. The term “neckbeard” rises in popularity throughout the Internet.

Trolls continue to post comments such as “Le Reddit Army has arrived!” on Youtube videos that are going viral. Other Redditors decide to get in on the act, which means that it quickly becomes a case of “Redditors trolling other Redditors… on Youtube.”

Incensed Redditors feed the trolls, which encourages more people to join in on the fun.

Accounts that have profile pictures of teenagers wearing fedoras and trilbys begin to surface. As do ultra feminist accounts (Berta Lovejoy). Comments such as “Le Reddit army have arrived!” are replaced by satirical rants about atheism and other neckbeard stereotypes (Mtn Dew, MLP, Friendzoning and katanas).

A subreddit called r/RedditArmie is created. Said trolls begin to talk amongst themselves and “organize”.

It reaches the point where the majority of trending videos on Youtube have some sort of Reddit-related comment at the top.